by Rick Marin | May 10, 2022 | Genesis
On what basis can God justify the ungodly?
(Genesis 15-19; Rom. 4:1-22; Gal. 4:21-31) Blog May 08-14, 2022
Prepared by Richard A. Marin: Present Truth PO Box 700, Fallbrook CA 92088-0700 USA
REVIEW: God’s perfect creation was marred by sin. Adam, our federal representative, chose guilt and corruption for the entire human race. But God provided his own Son as our substitute and sacrifice for sin. Thus, Adam and Eve could be clothed. When their son, Cain, rejected God’s Substitute, he found no forgiveness. A couple thousand years later, God destroyed the earth by a flood because of its violent wickedness. Before doing that, he warned earth’s inhabitants for 120 years and provided an ark for their salvation. After the flood Nimrod and his companions built a God-defying tower that God interrupted by confusing their language. Eventually God called Abraham to be his representative on earth.
The Heir
1. After defeating the four Babylonian kings, what worry might have haunted Abraham’s mind? Abraham might well have been concerned that a counterattack might come from Babylon (Gen. 15:1).
2. When God reassured Abraham that he was his shield and great reward, what question did Abraham have? Abraham wanted to know how God would fulfill his promise of making Abraham a great nation when he was childless (Gen. 15:2-3).
3. Who did God tell Abraham would be his heir rather than Eliezer his steward? God told Abraham that Eliezer would not be his heir, but rather one of his own children would be the heir of promise (Gen. 15:4).
4. How did Abraham react to God telling him that his descendants would be like the stars? Abraham believed in God & his word & God counted him as righteous (Gen. 15:6).
5. Does God count people as righteous who are not fully righteous? Yes, God calls people righteous who are still sinners. God calls “those things which be not as though they were” (Rom. 4:5, 17; Gal. 2:16).
6. If God told Israel’s judges not to justify the wicked, on what basis can God justify the ungodly? God counts a person righteous on the basis of the perfect righteousness of that person’s Substitute, Jesus, whom he entered by faith alone (Deut. 25:1; Rom. 4:5; 5:1; Col. 2:10).
The Covenant
7. When Abraham asked God for some assurance that he would inherit Canaan, what did God do? God made a covenant with Abraham as proof that he would fulfill his promise of an inheritance for Abraham (Gen. 15:9-21).
8. How was God’s covenant with Abraham made? Abraham cut animals in half and lay them in two rows. After walking between the pieces & scaring away the vultures. Then Abraham fell into a deep sleep surrounded by a great darkness & God told him the future before passing between the pieces, thus confirming the covenant (Gen. 15:9-21; Gal. 3:17).
9. Why did God ask Abraham to kill and divide animals for the covenant? The slaughtered animals were a token of the serious fate that the covenant partners would accept should they not keep their promise (Heb. 9:16-20).
10. What does the “great darkness” represent that came upon Abraham after dividing the animals? The “great darkness” represents the presence of God’s Holy Spirit as at Mount Sinai (Ex. 19:18; 20:21; Deut. 5:22; 1 Kings 8:12; Psa. 18:11).
11. When God made his everlasting covenant with Abram who walked between the divided animals? God the Father (“a smoking furnace”) & God the Son (“a burning lamp”) walked between the pieces, covenanting between the two to fulfill the promises made to Abraham (Ex. 19:18; 2 Sam. 22:29; Psa. 119:105; Isa. 31:9).
12. What insights does the Apostle Paul give in regard to the Abrahamic covenant? Paul says that Jesus was Abraham’s “seed” to whom the promises were made & in whom the covenant was confirmed & that the promise was to inherit the whole world (Rom. 4:13; Gal. 3:16-17).
13. What sign did God give Abraham for the covenant he made with him? God gave Abraham the sign of circumcision & God considered the sign so serious as to equate not taking it, equal to breaking the covenant which would result in expulsion from God’s people (Gen. 17:9-14).
14. What does circumcision represent? Circumcision represents the cutting of our sinful flesh, the cutting of our sinful hearts (Deut. 10:16; 30:6; Jer. 4:4; Rom. 2:28-29).
The Detour
15. When Abraham was 85 years old and Sarah 75, what suggestion did Sarah make? Sarah, realizing that she was past child-bearing age, told Abraham to marry her Egyptian handmaid, Hagar, in order to fulfill God’s promise (Gen. 16:1-3).
16. When Hagar realized she was pregnant how did her attitude toward Sarah change? Hagar stopped being a submissive servant to Sarah & with Abraham’s permission Sarah began dealing harshly with her (Gen. 16:4-6).
17. When Hagar fled into the wilderness, who confronted her there? The angel of the Lord confronted Hagar & told her to return & submit to Sarah, for God was going to give her a son who would become a great people (Gen. 16:7-12).
18. What does the name mean that the angel told Hagar to name her son? Ishmael means “God will hear” & he will hear us even in our affliction (Gen. 16:11).
19. Did God withdraw his promise from Abraham and Sarah when they doubted his ability to make it happen? No, God was faithful even when his covenant partners were not (Gen. 17:1-4).
20. How does the Apostle Paul make use of the story of Ishmael? In Galatians Paul uses Ishmael & Isaac, the two sons of Abraham, as types of two covenants God made with his people (Gal. 4:21-31).
21. What is Paul’s point in his allegory of two sons? Paul likens Hagar to the Sinai covenant where God’s people promised to perfectly fulfill all that God commanded & failed; & he likens Sarah to the Abrahamic covenant in which Jesus promised to perfectly fulfill all that God required of humanity & was obedient. Paul says that true believers in Jesus are children of promise for all the promises made to Abraham are ours in Jesus his “Seed” (Gen. 15:7-8; Ex. 19:5, 8; Gal. 3:16; 4:21-31).
by Rick Marin | May 5, 2022 | Genesis
Did God reject Abraham when he lied?
(Genesis 12-14; Heb. 7:1-10; ) Blog May 01-07, 2022
Prepared by Richard A. Marin: Present Truth PO Box 700, Fallbrook CA 92088-0700 USA
REVIEW: God made man perfect but in our federal representative, Adam, we lost that perfection. We all inherit guilt and corruption of nature from him. God provided a new federal representative for us in Jesus. By faith in him our original guilt is removed, and we look forward to the removal of our corruption at his appearing.
Cain rejected God’s Substitute, so found no forgiveness, and then killed his brother Abel. Within a couple thousand years the world became so violently wicked that God erased it clean with a flood, but not before warning its inhabitants for 120 years and providing an ark of salvation. Upon coming out of the ark God promised to never again cover the earth with a flood but in unbelief Nimrod and his companions built a God-defying tower that God destroyed.
Babylon and Egypt
1. Where was Abraham’s hometown? Abraham was born & raised in Ur of the Chaldees by Terah his father who was the 7th generation (about 300 years) after the flood (Gen. 11:26-28).
2. What city was the glory of the Chaldees? Babylon was the great, glorious city of the Chaldees (Gen. 11:31; Isa. 13:19).
3. How was Abraham’s faith tested when God promised to bless him, make him a great nation, and make him a blessing? Abraham’s faith in God’s promise of future blessing was tested by the command to leave the comforts of his home & homeland for an unknown hostile foreign environment (Gen. 12:1-4).
4. Where did Abraham first settle and build an altar in Canaan land? Abraham settled in Sichem in the plain of Moreh which means “early rain” showing that when we step out in faith, we receive the early rain of God’s Spirit. God told Abraham him that he would give him that land (Gen. 12:6-7; Rom. 5:1-5).
5. When famine came to Canaan what advantage did Egypt have? Egypt had the Nile River to water its cropland for its source was far south in the heart of Africa (Gen.
6. What did Abraham demonstrate in Egypt by lying about Sarah his wife? Abraham revealed his sinfulness by lying about Sarah (Gen. 12:11-13 Rom. 3:9-10).
7. What evidence is there that God did not reject Abraham when he lied about his wife? Although Abraham sinned, God did not reject him for we are not justified by our good deeds nor condemned by our bad deeds. Rather we are justified (accepted in God’s sight) by faith in Jesus our Substitute. Abraham still believed God & God plagued Pharoah’s household to protect Sarah & Abraham (Gen. 12:17-18; Rom. 5:1).
8. What do Babylon and Egypt represent in the Christian life? In the Bible Babylon represents salvation by our personal obedience & Egypt represents salvation without our obedience (Isa. 27:13; Jer. 2:18).
Abraham and Lot
9. After his episode with Pharoah what problem next confronted Abraham? After returning to Canaan Abraham’s herdmen & Lot’s herdmen quarreled because there was not enough pasture to support all their cattle (Gen 13:6-7).
10. Where did Lot choose to take his herds and live? Lot chose the well-watered Jordan valley near wicked Sodom, leaving Abraham in Canaan where God again promised him the land of fatness (Mamre) & communion (Hebron) (Gen. 10-18).
11. While Abraham was left with the drier mountain country, what assurance did God give him? God again promised Abraham the land of Canaan as far as he could see, including the fatness (Mamre) & communion (Hebron) — really the whole world – because he trusted God (Gen. 10-18; Rom. 4:13).
Melchizedek and Tithe
12. Why did Chedorlaomer and his three Babylonian allies attack the five kings of the Jordan Valley? Afterserving Chedorlaomer for twelve years the Jordan Valley kings rebelled. This introduces 13 as the number of “rebellion” in the Bible (Gen. 14:1-4).
13. How did the battle of the kings go and with what results? The four Babylonian kings won the battle while the Jordanian kings fled & their cities were ransacked & the people taken captive, including Lot. This shows 5 to represent “fallen” in the Bible (Gen. 14:8-12; Rev. 17:10).
14. When Abraham heard that Lot was taken captive, what did he do? Abraham armed his men & together with his three local allies pursued the Babylonian kings recovering all the goods & people (Gen. 14:13-16).
15. Why did Abraham refuse the offer of the King of Sodom to keep all the bootie and just return the captives? Abraham trusted God to make him wealthy & did not want his neighbors to think they had made him wealthy (Gen. 14:21-24).
16. Why did Abraham give a tenth of all the spoils to Melchizedek? Abraham served the true God who has always asked his people to return a tithe of their increase to support his ministry & Melchizedek was God’s priestly representative on earth, so in honor to God who gives us wealth Abraham paid tithe to Melchizedek (Gen. 14:18-20; 28:22; Deut. 8:18).
17. What do we know about Melchizedek? Melchizedek was THE priest of the Most High God who presented to Abraham the emblems of Christ’s life & death & blessed him. He was King of Peace (Salem) & King of Righteousness (Jeru) who remained a continual priest (Gen. 14:18-20; Heb. 7:1-4).
18. Who might Melchizedek have been? Melchizedek may have been Noah’s son, Shem, who would have been the oldest godly male alive at that time (Gen. 11:10-11).
by Rick Marin | Apr 27, 2022 | Genesis
For what kind of sins were Canaan’s descendants known?
(Genesis 9:18 – 11:9) Blog Apr. 24–30, 2022
Prepared by Richard A. Marin: Present Truth PO Box 700, Fallbrook CA 92088-0700 USA
REVIEW: God’s perfect creation was marred by sin. As the federal representative of humanity, Adam chose to eat what God had prohibited, bringing guilt and corruption to all his offspring. When sin entered God provided a Substitute and through faith in the Lamb of God all may be restored to life eternal. Cain was rejected by God because he rejected God’s provision for personal acceptance while only bringing a thank offering to God. Being rejected by God he got angry and killed his brother Abel. Within a couple thousand years the world became so violently wicked that God erased it clean with a flood, but not before warning its inhabitants for 120 years and providing a way of salvation.
Before Nimrod
1. What did God do to bring on a worldwide flood that covered the highest mountains by more than 20 feet of water? God opened the windows of heaven & stirred up the fountains from beneath the earth resulting in a worldwide flood (Gen. 7:11-12).
2. If the waters that God had placed above the earth at creation were used to bring on the flood how would earth’s atmosphere be affected? The absence of an atmospheric blanket of water has been calculated to result in polar extremes & severe seasonal climate change together with the loss of atmospheric pressure (Gen. 8:22).
3. If decay was rare and earth’s atmospheric pressure was greater before the flood how would that affect plant life after the flood? Besides seasonal interruption of plant growth, fermentation & decay would be much more rapid after the flood when atmospheric pressure was reduced. Degeneracy in the natural world had been very slight before the flood considering the lifespan of its inhabitants (Gen. 1:31; 5:17).
4. With no record of drunkenness before the flood and no Biblical condemnation of Noah’s drunkenness what might we conclude about Noah’s situation? It is likely that Noah had never experienced fermentation of grape juice before the flood & innocently drank juice that had been stored for some time not knowing its effects (Gen. 9:20-21; Lam. 4:21).
5. When Ham saw his father drunk in his tent, what did he do? Ham told his two brothers what he had done (Gen. 9:22).
6. Why is Shem and Japheth’s attitude to their father’s nakedness contrasted with that of Ham? Ham’s two brothers refused to look upon their father’s nakedness & Scripture & Noah view that as proper compared to what Ham did (Gen. 9:23-25).
7. How did Noah react when he realized what Ham had done? Noah cursed Ham’s son Canaan for the vile act that Ham committed (Gen. 9:24-25; Hab. 2:15).
8. What commandment clearly condemns Ham’s sin? The fifth commandment says we should honor our parents, which Ham did not do, even bragging about his experience (Gen. 9:22; Ex. 20:12).
9. For what kind of sins were Canaan’s descendants known? The descendants of Canaan were known for incest, adultery, sodomy, & child sacrifice (Lev. 18:1-7; 21-22).
The Tower People
10. Who was Nimrod? Nimrod was a mighty opponent of the true God, whose name means “we will rebel,” a great-grandson of Noah, the son of Cush who was the son of Canaan whom Noah cursed (Gen. 9:25; 10:8-9).
11. Where did Nimrod establish his kingdom? Nimrod established his kingdom in the land of Shinar, with the city of Babel (Gen. 10:10).
12. When many of Noah’s descendants joined Nimrod in building the city and tower at Babel what was their stated purpose? The tower builders on Shinar wanted to make a tower to reach unto heaven. Babel meant “door of God” & it was the purpose of the builders to replace God & make a name for themselves (Gen. 11:2-4).
13. What promise of God did the tower builders not believe and work to oppose? The builders of Babel did not believe God’s promise that there would not be another worldwide flood for they proposed to escape such by building a high tower (Gen. 9:11; 11:4).
14. What command of God did the tower builders not obey and work to oppose? The builders of Babel did not obey God’s command to scatter out throughout the earth, but rather worked to concentrate humanity in one giant city with one world religion (Gen. 9:1; 11:7).
15.What constant reminder of God’s promise did the tower builders continually have to ignore? Every time it rained the tower builders had to ignore the covenant rainbow (Gen. 9:13-17).
Divine Intervention
16. Before God interrupted the tower builders, what did he do? Like righteous Job, God searched out the matter before intervening. He investigates before sentencing (Gen. 11:5; Job 29:16).
17. To whom is God talking in Genesis 11:6 and 7? When the Scripture says “behold” & “let us go down” it is recording the conversation of the Deity between themselves — Father, Son, & Holy Ghost — just as in Genesis 1 (Gen. 1:26; 11:6-7).
18. What method did God use to scatter the tower builders throughout the earth? God scattered the tower builders by confusing their languages so that they couldn’t understand each other (Gen. 11:7-8).
19. Since God confused the tower builders’ language, what idea is now associated with “Babel”? Babel now stands for “confusion” rather than “door of God” (Gen. 11:9).
20. What later Bible stories build on Nimrod’s famous city? Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom & the corrupted religions in Revelation both take the name “Babylon” for in them true & false religion are mixed together (Dan. 1:1; Rev. 14:8).
by Rick Marin | Apr 19, 2022 | Genesis
Did the flood eradicate man’s sinful nature?
(Genesis 6:1 – 9:17; Heb. 11:7; 2 Pet. 2:5) Blog Apr. 17-23, 2022
Prepared by Richard A. Marin: Present Truth PO Box 700, Fallbrook CA 92088-0700 USA
REVIEW: God created a perfect world and placed human beings in it to govern all he had made. Besides dominion, individuality, and responsibility they were given power to think and to do. As the federal representative of the entire human race, Adam chose to eat what God had prohibited, bringing guilt and corruption to all his offspring. When sin entered God provided a Substitute and through faith in the Lamb of God who was to die in our place all may be restored to life eternal. Cain chose to reject God’s provision while offering his personal efforts instead of a blood sacrifice. Being rejected by God he got angry and killed his brother Abel who by faith had offered a blood sacrifice.
Precursors
1. When world population greatly increased what began to happen? Believers in God were attracted to unbelievers & upon marrying them, their children became mighty opponents to the true God (Gen. 6:1-4).
2. What made God regret that he made mankind? God was hurt by the exceeding wickedness of mankind (Gen. 6:5-7).
3. What did God plan to do to purify the violently corrupt earth? God told Noah that he would destroy the wicked & the earth with a flood (Gen 6:13, 17).
4. How long did God say that his Spirit would work for the salvation of the antediluvians? God promised that his Spirit would work for humanity’s salvation for 120 years during which time Noah was a preacher of righteousness (Gen. 6:3; 2 Pet. 2:5).
5. What salvation plan did God devise for an escape from the destroying flood? God told Noah to build an ark for the saving of him, his family, & a variety of animal life & to store food in it for them all (Gen. 6:14-22).
6. How specific was God regarding the construction of his ark of safety? God gave Noah specific instructions as to size, materials, internal arrangement, & window & door for the ark (Gen. 6:14-21).
7. What should we learn from the covering of pitch that sealed the ark? The covering of pitch was a symbol of the righteousness of Jesus that covers those hidden in him, just as the ark of the covenant was covered with a golden mercy seat (the verb “pitch” is kaphar, the same word used 70 times in the Bible for “make atonement”) (Gen. 6:14; Ex. 25:10-11, 17; 29:36; Lev. 1:4; 2 Chron. 29:24).
The Flood
8. Before the rain began, on what basis did God tell Noah to enter the ark together with his family and a collection of animals? The basis for entering the ark was because Noah was righteous in God’s eyes (Gen. 7:1-3).
9. How are we to understand what is said about Noah in Genesis 6:8-9? Noah’s righteousness & perfection were found in Christ his substitute whom he served. God viewed him with grace, considering him better than his sinful life deserved because his righteousness was before God in heaven (Gen. 6:8-9; 7:1; Rom. 3:20; Phil. 3:9; Heb. 11:7).
10. How long after God shut the door did Noah and his companions remain in the ark before the rain began to fall? Those inside the ark waited 7 days before the rain began to fall (Gen. 7:3, 10).
11. What should we learn from the delay of 7 days before the rain fell? God expects his people to obey his word before they see the evidence of his judgments. Human probation closes before Christ’s second coming for in the last days God will seal & spiritually separate his people before the seven last plagues fall (Josh. 3:13; Rev. 7:3).
12. Which New Testament story also teaches of the seriousness of a door shut by God? In the parable of the ten virgins there was no entrance to the wedding once the door was shut (Matt. 25:1-13).
13. From when the rain began to fall, how much time passed before Noah could leave the ark? It was the 17th day of the 2nd month of Noah’s 600th year that the rain began & it was the 27th day of the 2nd month of Noah’s 601st year that he left the ark: making a total of 1 year & 10 days since the rain began (Gen. 7:11; 8:13-16).
14. What does it mean that God “remembered” Noah and those with him? The Hebrew language is dynamic rather than passive. To “remember” in Hebrew means “ready to take action” (Gen. 8:1; 9:15; Ex. 2:24; Rev. 18:5). (See https://liferesearchinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/PT.3-2.pdf)
The Results
15. Did the flood eradicate man’s sinful nature? No, God said the same thing about human nature after the flood that he said before the flood: “the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth” (Gen. 6:5; 8:21).
16. After the flood how did Noah acknowledge his need of forgiveness and mercy from God? Noah built an altar & offered an animal sacrifice of each of the clean animals from the ark (Gen. 8:20).
17. Before the flood, what did God tell Noah that he would make with him? God, like any good suitor, made a proposal prior to making a covenant with Noah. That covenant is described in Genesis 9 (Gen. 6:18).
18. What did God do before he established his covenant with Noah? Before establishing his covenant with Noah, God delivered him & those with him from the worldwide flood & blessed them, explaining their new relationship to the animals, some (those “clean”) of which they were now permitted to eat (Gen. 8:16-9:7)
19. What promise did God make when he smelled Noah’s sacrifices? God promised that although humans still had sinful natures, he would never again curse the ground nor destroy every living thing & that now there would be seedtime & harvest (summer & winter) as long as the earth should last (Gen. 8:21-22).
20. What was the covenant that God established with Noah and every living creature? God promised never again to destroy the earth with a flood, & he gave the rainbow as a sign of his covenant promise (Gen. 9:8-17).
21. In the story of the flood what does the ark represent? The ark represents Jesus our mercy seat (our propitiation [hilasterion in Greek]) & all who are found in him by faith will be saved when he comes to destroy the earth by fire (Rom. 3:25; Heb. 9:5; 2 Pet. 3:10).
by Rick Marin | Apr 13, 2022 | Genesis
What principle of worship did Cain manifest?
(Genesis 4-5; 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 9:22; 11:4) Blog Apr. 10-16, 2022
Prepared by Richard A. Marin: Present Truth PO Box 700, Fallbrook CA 92088-0700 USA
REVIEW: In the beginning God created a perfect world and placed in it his crowing work, mankind. To humanity he gave dominion, individuality, and responsibility. Their obedience was to be proved by one simple test: a forbidden fruit. As the federal representative of the entire human race, Adam chose to eat what God had prohibited. Through this single act he brought guilt and corruption to all his offspring. But God provided a Substitute for his sin and through faith in Jesus, the Lamb of God, all may find freedom from condemnation and help to resist Satan’s temptations.
Two offerings
1. What must happen for Adam and Eve not to die the day they ate the forbidden fruit? The sentence of death must be carried out for God to remain just & Adam & Eve not to die (Gen. 2:16-17).
2. How was the death sentence carried out for Adam and Eve? The Son of God stepped in between the guilty & the Offended, taking on himself the sentence of death as illustrated in the slaying of innocent animals to clothe Adam & Eve from the shame of their sin (Gen. 3:21; 2 Cor. 5:21; Rev. 13:8).
3. Why weren’t the fig-leaf garments made by Adam and Eve sufficient to cover their shame? Sins can be forgiven only by “the shedding of blood.” Nothing man can do or offer apart from blood will cover his shame (Heb. 9:22).
4. How would Adam and Eve’s children have known that there is no remission of sins without the shedding of blood? Adam would have taught his children the story of the fall & why the flaming sword kept them from returning to Eden, & what was required in order to approach God (Gen. 3:24).
5. To approach God as sinners what must Cain and Abel bring to the Lord? Before God can accept our gifts of thanks our persons must first be accepted. Cain & Abel must first present a perfect substitute & a blood sacrifice to be accepted by God. Then having been accepted (justified), they can offer their thank offerings to God (Gen. 4:3-7; Rom. 5:1; Heb. 11:6).
6. How does a person feel and react when they are guilty? Since guilt is unbearable, people become afraid, blame others, & sometimes resort to violence rather than admitting their guilt (Gen. 3:10-14; 4:8; Mic. 7:9).
7. In what ways was Cain partially obedient to God? Cain came at the proper time, making a proper altar, & offering something to God, but not in faith in a substitute (Gen. 4:3).
Two Directions
8. Why was Cain angry and downcast? Cain was angry and downcast because God did not accept him nor his good deeds (Gen. 4:5).
9. When God spoke to Cain what remedy did he offer for Cain’s anger? God told Cain that if he offered the sacrifice that pointed to Jesus he would be accepted (Gen. 4:6-7).
10. When sin desires to rule in our lives, how should we respond? As God told Cain, we should not let sin rule in our lives but rather crucify it (Gen. 4:7; Rom. 6:12-13; 8:13).
11. By what means was Abel and his sacrifice accepted by God? It was by faith in the future sacrifice of Jesus that Abel & his offering were accepted by God (Gen. 4:4; Heb. 11:4).
12. What reason does John give for why Cain killed his brother? John says that Cain killed his brother “because his own works were evil, & his brother’s righteous” (1 John 3:12).
13. What did Cain mean when he said he would be hidden from God’s face? To be hidden from God’s face means to not have God’s smile of grace & mercy: to be forsaken of God (Gen. 4:14; Psa. 27:9; 67:1; Num. 6:25).
14. How does Cain acknowledge that the penalty for murder is death? When God granted Cain exile rather than death for murder, Cain said “every one that findeth me shall slay me” thus acknowledging that death was the rightful penalty for murder (Gen. 4:14; 9:6; Ex. 20:13).
Two Lessons
15. What very important lesson do the two offerings in Genesis 4 teach? Cain’s offering teaches us that acceptance with God (justification) cannot be received by our good deeds. Abel’s offering teaches that God will justify us & accept our offering if we present the life & death of his dear Son to him (Gen. 4:3; Rom. 3:20; Gal. 2:16; Eph. 2:8-9; Tit. 3:5).
16. What principle of worship did Cain manifest? Cain represents those who worship God in a way of their own choosing while neglecting God’s prescribed way to worship him (Gen. 4:3; John 4:24; Phil. 3:3).
17. What principle of salvation did Cain manifest? Cain manifested the principle that man can depend upon his own merits and righteousness for salvation (Gen. 4:3; Gal. 2:16; Eph. 2:8-9; Tit. 3:5).
18. What two brash statements made by Cain’s descendant Lamech indicate his actions and attitude? Lamech boasted that he killed a young man in order to have two wives & taunted God about his curse on Cain (Gen. 4:19-24).
19. What child was born to Adam and Eve whom they hoped was the promised seed after Abel’s death? When Adam & Eve were 130 years old, Seth became Eve’s new hope of a Saviour after Cain slew Abel (Gen. 4:25; 5:3).
by Rick Marin | Apr 7, 2022 | Genesis
Why don’t any snakes eat plants?
(Genesis 3; Rom. 16:20; Rev. 12:7-9) Blog Apr. 03-09, 2022
Prepared by Richard A. Marin: Present Truth PO Box 700, Fallbrook CA 92088-0700 USA
REVIEW: In the beginning of this earth God created a perfect world and placed in it a variety of life forms. As his crowing work, he created man, male and female, and gave them dominion, individuality and responsibility. They were also made accountable to be obedient to their Creator. This obedience was to be proved by one simple test: to refrain from eating of one of the many fruitful trees that God provided for their nourishment. As a sign of their faithfulness to this covenant with their Maker, God gave them a blessed Sabbath rest.
The Serpent
1. How are we to understand the Genesis record of a “serpent”? While Moses doesn’t list here the connection between Lucifer, the covering cherub, & the serpent, John in Revelation makes clear the connection by telling us that there was war in heaven & “that old serpent, called the Devil and Satan… was cast out into the earth” (Isa. 14:12-14; Eze. 28:12-17; Rev. 12:7-9).
2. What kind of serpent do many Mesoamerican people groups worship? Many Mesoamerican people groups worship a feathered serpent, giving us to believe that such was the one used by Lucifer to deceive Eve (Gen. 3:1; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feathered_Serpent).
3. In what did the serpent invite Eve to participate? The serpent invited Eve to participate in a Bible study (Gen. 3:1).
4. What truths did the Serpent mention in his dialogue with Eve? The Serpent mentioned eating of every tree in the garden & of becoming like God, knowing good & evil (Gen. 1:29; 3:1, 5, 22).
5. What popular Christian error did the Serpent express to Eve? Satan advocated the idea that the human soul is immortal & will never die (Gen. 3:4; Mal. 4:1).
6. What three things about the forbidden fruit appealed to Eve and are the three areas in which Satan tempts us? We are tempted by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, & the pride of life. It was in these three areas (“good for food,” “pleasant to eyes,” & “to be desired to make one wise”) that Eve was tempted but in her was no internal lust for evil like dwells in us (Gen. 3:6; 1 John 2:16).
7. Who did the serpent use to convince Adam to eat the forbidden fruit? Satan used Eve to convince Adam to eat the forbidden fruit for her experience seemed pleasant because the results of her sin had not yet taken place (Gen. 3:6; Eccl. 8:11).
8. Who would Satan likely use to get you to do wrong? Satan generally uses friends, relatives, trusted leaders, or pastors to turn people from the right way (Micah 7:6; Matt. 10:36; 2 Cor. 11:13-15).
The Sin
9. When Adam and Eve sinned, what immediate need did they sense? Adam & Eve immediately sensed a need for a covering for their nakedness (Gen. 3:7).
10. When Adam sinned, who fell? In Adam the entire human race fell for he was our federal head & representative before God (Hos. 6:7; 1 Cor. 15:22).
See also https://liferesearchinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/PT.9-1.pdf
11. What is included in the fall of our federal head, Adam? In our representative, Adam, we all became guilty (condemned to eternal death) before God. Our natures became corrupt, with a propensity toward evil. The result was a gradual weakening of humanity’s physical, mental, & moral powers (Gen. 2:16-17; Jer. 17:9; Rom. 5:12-19; 7:23; 2 Cor. 4:16).
12. What terms does Paul use to refer to the original guilt and fallen natures that we inherit from Adam? Paul calls our original guilt “condemnation” & refers to the fallenness of our natures as “corruption” (Rom. 5:16; 8:21).
13. Before God sentenced Adam, Eve, and the serpent, what did he do? Before passing sentence on the guilty, God conducted an investigation allowing the guilty to acknowledge their sin & repent (Just as he will do in final judgment) (Gen. 3:9-11; Rom. 14:11-12).
14. Why is it that Adam and Eve blamed something other than themselves for their sin? Adam & Eve, like us, were unable to bear guilt for it is a very life-threatening burden, so they sought to transfer it to someone else (Gen. 3:12-13; 4:13; Ex. 34:7; Heb. 9:22).
15. Is it possible to transfer guilt from one person to another? God has made it possible to transfer our guilt from ourselves to Jesus, thus freeing us from the condemnation (Rom. 8:1; 2 Cor. 5:21).
16. When will our corruption of nature be removed? For those who pass God’s final judgment, their sinful natures will be eradicated when they are glorified at the voice of God under the seventh plague just prior to Jesus’ second coming (Rom. 7:24-25; 8:17-21; Rev. 16:17).
The Solution
17. How did God respond to Adam and Eve’s sin? God responded with blessings & curses. Even in the curses there were blessings (Gen. 3:14-19).
18. What blessing did God include in his curse of the serpent? While cursing the serpent God stated that he would provide a way to resist the serpent & would eventually end his existence though the seed of the woman: the promised Messiah who would be sacrificed like the animals whose skins provided clothing for the guilty pair (Gen. 3:15, 21).
19. Why don’t any snakes in the world eat plants? Not a single snake chooses plants for its food although all other forms of animals do, because God cursed the serpent condemning it to eat dust which represents what animals are made of (Gen. 2:19; 3:14).
20. When God cursed the ground for Adam’s sake how was that a blessing? The curse of the physical earth gave Adam a lesson in how to root out evil not only from his garden but from his sinful nature which is what is implied by “ground” in the curse (Gen 3:17-19).
